Foolishly in Love
by homra-kid
Summary: Kuroko Tetsuya was born with the ability to see the supernatural creatures known as youkai. Moving from the city to the countryside to live with his grandmother after a car accident takes the life of his beloved parents, he befriends the nine tailed fox spirit, Kise Ryouta. Their friendship sparks a journey as he tries to show everyone that humans and youkai can all live in peace.


**Foolishly in Love**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters in this story they belong respectfully to Tadatoshi Fujimaki

**Warning:** Themes of shounen-ai/yaoi/homosexual relationships and whatever, you know all that good stuff, some mild OOC-ness… If any of this bothers you then you have the option of not reading.

**Music:** Fox Rain by Lee Sun Hee

**A/N:** Opps, my hand slipped and I wrote a multi chaptered story... I've been longing to write a story with Kitsune Kise Ryouta for the longest time because if you haven't seen the fanart for the youkai AU of Kuroko no Basuke floating around than I don't think you understand this surge of powerful feels I have. I've also fallen in love with the anime Natsume Yuujin Chou all over again which is another influence that inspired me to write this. Now, let's get started shall we? Also, if I happen to butcher the Japanese mythology, I apologize in advance! From the bottom of my heart I truly apologize if it makes you unhappy to some extent! I did some research to the best of my abilities, some but not a lot to qualify as an expert, just stupidly competent TxT

I had hoped I could get this up in time before the end of Kise's birthday but I didn't expect to have such a busy day with family and friends. Good weather always seems to take me away from the computer but oh well; fresh air is good for the soul. Still, Happy Belated Birthday Kise Ryouta!

o0o0o0o

There was no point in interacting with human beings. They were delicate creatures that led a completely different life style compared to the youkai and with them being unable to actually see the supernatural entities anyways, it made things all the more disheartening between the two. Even though there were a lucky few out there in the world who possessed the gift of sight, one never knew when that special individual would disappear suddenly. After all, their life spans were miniscule compared to the near immortality youkai possessed.

Although their mortal presence was amusing to some, it could only counteract the boredom of an ageless life for so long. Once the novelty of humans was spent, it was never uncommon for one to either move on to the next victim or slip back into the recesses of nature from whence they came for another century or two. With the time flow between humans and youkai being so vastly different, it was part of the reason why interacting with humans tended to be a waste if they were going to die within several decades.

Kise heeded Akashi's warnings quite well most days when it came to keeping his distance from the human occupants in the town close to their borders. Although he understood why the dragon lord as well as many others in their forest were wary of them; Kise was fascinated and unafraid. Running with human's meant trouble, that's what he'd been told repeatedly by everyone and despite obeying the great dragon's rules diligently there were still those rare occasions when Kise's curiosity would overwhelm him to the extent that he would go off and wander along the edge of the forest he called home.

He felt like he wasn't breaking any rules so long as he wasn't seen (not like he could be seen to begin with) but he also felt like it was the closest he could ever get to the mysterious creatures known as humans.

It was all in good fun really, however today of all days during one of his erratic escapades, he'd been rather unlucky this fine summer and it was outrageous considering that he was a nine tailed fox spirit. There was no denying that he lacked the wisdom for his role but it was probably what made him one of a kind, as Aomine liked to say sometimes.

Kise didn't know why there was still a human contraption hidden beneath the brush but considering how rustic and bulky it looked, he could only guess that it had been left forgotten for quite some time which was why no one had bothered to remove it from the premises. How old it was exactly, he didn't know but Kise was sure it'd been a few years, maybe even a decade old.

With the metal teeth imbedding itself deep into the flesh and bone of his ankle in his attempts to remove the trap, Kise winced painfully and stopped after a few long minutes, his heart pounding anxiously. The fox spirit hoped more than anything that someone nearby—a friend at the very least heard his cries for help. Looking at the steel trap, he gave his ankle one last tug, his breath hitching the next second as pain shot right up his leg. It'd been a stupid move. He should have known better than to struggle because the more he tried to get loose, the more damage he was inflicting upon himself in his vain efforts to get free.

Grumbling helplessly, he caressed the area around his wound gently. The skin stung and his ears fell down in despair at having been caught so easily if not painfully.

Kise's sadness was short lived though and in no time his mood shifted to that of fear when he heard an unfamiliar noise in the distance just beyond the short trees and bushes.

"Woof! Woof!"

"Nigou come back!"

"That voice…" Kise whispered. "Oh no! It's a human!" He began to panic and his hands went straight back down to the trap that was securing him in place.

"Nigou!" It was a rather high pitched voice—a child he gathered was heading in his direction and he was coming towards Kise rather quickly. Too fast in fact.

Clawing at the bars desperately, Kise bit his tongue, hoping to suppress his cries but the moment a small black and white head popped out of the thick brush, he lost his grip and the trap snapped back into place. The fox spirit yelped at this and he began to cry at having been discovered.

Yes, this day was really turning out to be bad if not the worst day in his entire life.

"Nigou!"

"Woof!" The little dog barked and he bounded towards Kise within seconds once his big blue eyes settled on his fallen form.

Just as the pup approached him excitedly, a little human boy came running into the thicket after him and Kise froze up at the very sight of him.

"Nigou—Oh…" The boy stopped, his blue eyes locked right onto him.

Kise's eyes widen at that instant. He was like a deer caught by the headlights of an incoming vehicle and it didn't make the situation any better when the boy's canine friend had the audacity to jump on him, scaring the youkai even more.

"Ahh!"

"Nigou stop! He's hurt!" The child exclaimed and he ran towards them, falling immediately to his knees next to Kise as he pried the dog off from him.

Once the pup was removed, Kise backed away as far as the chain would allow him until he took in another sharp breath of air, the steel jaws feeling even tighter around his ankle. The blood was running thickly now and he watched the human in front of him turn his head this way and that, examining the trap he'd been caught in.

"You're hurt." He said again, deep blue eyes staring sadly at the blood pooling around the steel teeth about his ankle as it dripped steadily down into the dirt.

Kise didn't say a word, swallowing nervously since it was unheard of for humans to actually see youkai. This boy was different though, he could see him as well as his canine companion beside him. He must have been blessed with the gift of sight by someone very strong but from who he didn't know. Either that or he was just born with a very strong spiritual awareness.

Watching him reach into his pocket, Kise's ears flattened, fear spiking within him and he tensed again but to his surprise a mere piece of cloth was retrieved and the child settled it down beside him before reaching out and undoing the trap with much struggle.

It took a bit of elbow grease and a few tearful yelps on Kise's part but eventually the child succeeded in releasing him from the trap. Kise could do nothing but stare with amazement at the human's selfless actions and he was even more shocked when the little cloth from before was used to wrap his wound to stop the bleeding from worsening.

"It's not much but I do hope you feel better now." The boy smiled at him all the while Kise sat there, flabbergasted as ever. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, what's yours?"

The boy was met with a long pause and blue eyes stared innocently up at a pair of shimmering gold orbs as he waited patiently for the other's reply.

Gradually, the youkai worked up the courage to speak and he surprised himself as the words left his mouth. "Kise Ryouta." He said simply, and at that very moment Kise knew he would be unable to stay away from the child for as long as he lived.

Maybe this day wasn't the worst day in his entire life after all?

"Kise Ryouta? That's a nice name." The child smiled at him softly and it made his heart skip a beat. "Do you want to be friends?"

o0o0o

Eight year old Kuroko Tetsuya had only recently moved into town and was living with his widowed grandmother in the big old house by the forgotten shrine right next to the forest. He'd traveled from Tokyo which was several hours away by car and the reason for his arrival in the small town was because he'd been orphaned not too long ago due to a terrible car crash that took the life of his mother and father.

Having been born with very little presence for a reason that could not be explained, Kuroko had a difficult time growing up and making friends on top of being able to see youkai for as long as he could remember.

Some youkai were kind enough to befriend him in his younger years but then there were other's that sought to induce fear in him and they reveled in his fright whenever he felt he was in danger by their advances. However, despite the negativity he received from some, it never quite deterred Kuroko from continuing to interact with the more compassionate youkai who didn't mind filling his lonely days with a smile or two.

Being so far away from the city and the little youkai he'd known for most of his life, Kuroko was alone again, so he thought it was a miracle that he happened upon the nine tailed fox of the forest, Kise Ryouta. He believed it was a sign that there were still friendships out there that he could create in this new place he had to call home despite his difficulties in the category. With that in mind, he mustered up the nerve and asked for the youkai's hand in friendship. Though it took a bit for the meaning to sink into Kise's mind, the way his golden eyes sparkled suddenly, told Kuroko what his answer would be and his smile grew even bigger at the thought of making his very first in his new environment.

Having spent the rest of the day by Kise's side and tending to his wound as best he could, the spirit, though timid, attached himself rather quickly to Kuroko, much to the boy's delight and acted similar to Nigou by coddling him and thanking him profusely for saving him. It made Kuroko truly grateful to have found a friend in the youkai. Even if he wasn't necessarily human, a friend was still a friend no matter what they were.

The next day, Kuroko and Nigou went back to the edge of the forest, to the place where he first laid eyes on Kise. The fox spirit accepted their budding friendship but he was still a youkai and could do whatever he pleased, that much Kuroko could understand from experience of having watched other's like Kise come and go throughout the years. It was a long shot but he hoped he would find the fox spirit there, as foolish as it seemed. Once he and Nigou entered the trees, walking past the point of where they first found Kise, it didn't take long for them to find the youkai much to Kuroko's relief.

"Kurokocchi! Up here!" A voice called from way up high and the bluenette instantly shifted his gaze from the ground level to the canopy above him where he saw the nine tailed fox seated up on a thick branch.

"Good morning Kise-kun." Kuroko said, smiling as Nigou barked and wagged his tail beside him.

Kise grinned from ear to ear at seeing his new human friend, his tails swishing about gently behind him. "What are you doing standing around down there for? Come up and join me."

"Uh…" Kuroko grimaced; taking note of just how far up Kise was from the ground he stood on. "I'm sorry but I do not have the ability to climb trees as high as you can."

"Oh." Kise blinked. "Well, in that case…" He chuckled before jumping down right in front of the boy, startling him and Nigou a little. "I'll just have to carry you up now won't I?"

"What?" Kuroko stared blankly, feeling a bit of mortification now that the fox spirit stood in front of him. "But your ankle, how did you—"

"My friend Midorimacchi healed me." Kise interjected. "Now come on, hurry up and pick Nigou up." He insisted and though he was reluctant Kuroko did as he was told, abide slowly.

Once he had the perplexed pup tucked safely in his arms, Kise kneeled down to his level and scooped him up easily. Kuroko gasped at having been lifted up so swiftly and before he knew it, the fox spirit was already jumping into the air and back up into the trees. In those few seconds they spent in midair, Kuroko felt like his heart was about to burst forth from his chest as the summer breeze whipped against his face suddenly. Above him, Kise laughed joyfully and though Kuroko was still in a world of shock he wore a trembling smiling anyways and shifted himself closer to the youkai's chest.

"Please don't drop me Kise-kun." He said in a quiet voice which was muffled against the fox spirit's front.

Kise's foxlike ears flickered at the boy's obvious nervousness and he giggled softly at the innocence in his voice. He was truly an adorable thing, this human child, he thought to himself. "Don't worry Kurokocchi, I'll never drop you, I promise." He replied, his grin softening into that of a sincere smile as he glanced down shortly at the boy in his arms.

Landing on his good foot, Kise stopped on a thick branch, grateful that it had enough width for Kuroko to walk along should he choose to. Inhaling the forest air deeply, he noticed the petrified look on the bluenette's face and cocked his head in wonder at the strange expression. Was something the matter with him?

"K-Kise-kun…"

"Hm? What's wrong Kurokocchi?"

"We're really, really high up…"

"Yes, we are and?..."

"I beg you, please don't let go of me..."

"Ah! Are you afraid of heights?!" Kise exclaimed a little too loudly, finally realizing the underlining meaning in the boy's words and Kuroko practically glared daggers at him.

"I wasn't until now, seeing how very far up we are from the ground." The eight year old grinded and Nigou whimpered, just as frightened as his master.

"Well then alright, I won't let you go." Kise grinned and he carefully situated them down in his lap as he sat atop of the branch and dangled his feet.

Kuroko pressed himself as close as possible to the youkai in order to put himself as far away from the edge as possible for fear of falling. The three of them sat that way for quite a while much to his surprise and cuddling Nigou close to him, Kuroko pouted at the silence they were in.

"Kise-kun?"

"Yes?"

"I forgot to ask yesterday but how old are you?"

Kise laughed. "Quite old, more than nine centuries I suppose. But it's quite obvious that I'm much older than you so why ask?"

"Well, I was just curious is all." Kuroko frowned. "If we're to be friends, I want to know more about you than just your name." And that left Kise rather surprised though it was quickly replaced with another smile, one that began to take on a whole new different meaning than before. The grin was somewhat frightening and it left Kuroko shivering in response.

"You want to know more about me? If I tell you, would you believe it to be a truth or a lie? I am still a fox after all and could very well be tricking you." He said with a purr, lips curling up even more to reveal a pair of glittering canines.

It was quite a mischievous sight and immediately Kuroko's mood turned a little sour.

"If you do that I will never forgive you nor will I ever talk to you ever again for as long as I live." The boy replied flatly and swiftly, causing Kise's breath to hitch as his ears fell down in despair at the venom Kuroko held in his voice.

"No! Kurokocchi I will never lie to you!" Kise exclaimed, embracing the small body tightly.

While Nigou whined rather loudly at the sudden pressure, his master felt otherwise. Taken aback, Kuroko stared, his blue eyes slightly widened by the other's quick reaction. "You—you promise?" He inquired slowly. "Do you promise to never lie to me?"

"I promise…" Kise murmured above him. "You're my first human friend and that makes you special. I will never, ever lie to you, I swear."

Kuroko's heart swelled at the other's declaration. It was uncommon for most youkai to stay true to their words and though there was some doubt in the back of his mind, the bluenette felt that he could trust in the blond haired fox spirit.

Struggling a little, Kuroko managed to free one hand while keeping the other wrapped securely around Nigou as he reached up and gave the nine tailed fox several gentle pats on the head. "There, there. I believe you." He said and Kise slowly looked up at him, bright golden eyes staring at him with a few crocodile tears welling up in each corner. "From now on, please don't forget your promise to me."

"I won't!" The blond answered immediately. "You won't be disappointed Kurokocchi!" He beamed, and for the first time since his arrival, Kuroko giggled softly at the other's antics and the sound of his gentle laughter was like music to the youkai's ears.

o0o0o

As the summer days continued to pass one by one, Kuroko found himself together with Kise nearly every day from morning until dusk. If they weren't exploring the forest, Kise would follow Kuroko and Nigou around the house, finding all sorts of entertainment in the cozy home that was so foreign to him. If not lying around the house whenever Kuroko's grandmother was away, he would wear a human guise, appearing as a small child similar to Kuroko's age and they would go into town together hand in hand where he was shown a spectacular world of cars, junk food and arcades.

Kuroko, surprisingly, wasn't at all fazed by Kise's excitement. In fact, it left him more than a little speechless considering that it was the first time the blond had ever set foot in actual human territory. Having been alive for so long, the bluenette had assumed the youkai would have mingled with a few humans by now. But boy oh boy was he wrong.

"So you've never wandered out here into town before?"

"No, never." Kise said, his grip on the bluenette's hand tightening slightly.

"Why is that?"

"Because of Akashicchi, he's the lord of this region." The blond said simply. "But most of all, I never really had a legitimate reason for coming here until now. However, I'm really glad my very first visit to the human side was with you, Kurokocchi." He grinned, and Kuroko's cheeks flushed darkly at the comment.

"Y—you're welcome, Kise-kun…" He replied quietly, blue eyes turned towards the ground though he still smiled tenderly at the other's words anyways.

Even though Kise and Kuroko spent quite a bit of time in the forest, the fox spirit was careful to keep the child out of the other youkai's sight. It wasn't like he couldn't win in a fight against them—it was more like a feral need to exert some dominance over the other spiritual beings and that the human boy was his and his alone. After all, if he didn't claim him now then there was no doubt in his mind that harm would come to Kuroko and that was something he didn't want. His scent alone was enough to deter most of the smaller youkai in their vicinity away during the day, Kise was grateful for that but at night it was completely different and for those like the tengu, Aomine Daiki—keeping a strong youkai like him away from places he'd marked as his territory was already a difficult task in itself.

"Kise, what have you been up to lately?" Aomine asked one day, his arms crossed tightly against his chest.

"Ah! What do you mean Aominecchi?" Kise smiled behind his sleeve.

"Don't play dumb with me fox boy." He growled this time. "Everyone's beginning to talk about how they haven't been seeing hide or hair of you for the past month. It's even reached Akashi's ears but I'm more surprised by the fact that he hasn't bothered to summon you yet."

And it was true, though Kise didn't give a damn what the other youkai of the forest were gossiping about. He could imagine them wondering what was going on, but why were they complaining? He wasn't causing any harm at all. In fact, he was leaving well enough alone—minus spending as much time as he could with Kuroko.

Just thinking about the human made the nine tailed fox hum gleefully to himself and seeing this, Aomine glared.

"What is wrong with you?" The tengu questioned as he made a rather disgruntled face.

"Nothing, nothing is wrong. In fact, things have been quite wonderful I believe so I see no reason why the others think it is okay to prod at my disappearance. And just like you said, if Akashi has yet to send for me to discuss my whereabouts then there shouldn't be anything to worry about."

"Oh, really now?" Aomine arched a brow at him before he slowly began to smirk knowingly. It left Kise somewhat uncomfortable but he managed to hold his tongue and stand firmly against the mischievous expression the tengu wore. "I think I get it now… You've found someone didn't you? Who are you screwing fox boy? Spill the beans!"

Immediately, Kise's mouth fell open. "Huh?! Aominecchi don't assume that I'm doing such lewd things! You pervert!" He glared despite the fierce blush his cheeks emitted. It was unbelievable, how Aomine's mind worked and Kise sometimes hated how contagious the other's dirty thoughts were. Without meaning to, his consciousness traveled back to Kuroko and he made an almost painful noise. Yup, Aomine was definitely going to pay!

Watching the way the fox spirit's nine tails flickered wildly, the tengu clicked his tongue. He didn't understand why his friend was reacting in such a way. Had he been wrong about their being someone? If that was the case, he was beginning to feel even more irritated now. "Well if you're not bedding someone then what the hell have you been doing sneaking off all this time?"

The other's demand was as clear as day but rather than fear Aomine, Kise felt threatened, his form stiffening up instantly. "It's really none of your business." He replied, his voice taking on a whole new different tone as his glare intensified.

Without waiting to hear the dark haired tengu give him another earful, Kise turned heel only to disappear into the thicket of the forest, the greenery swallowing him up whole. Aomine's deep blue eyes trailed after him angrily and although the blond made it quite clear that he wanted to be left alone, the tengu wasn't going to have it. Beating his great black wings, the birdlike youkai took off into the sky and from his position up high he followed the direction and scent of his nine tailed friend.

"If he thinks he can get away without explaining himself than he's got another thing coming!" Aomine growled.

Below, running at full speed, Kise made his way to the forest's edge. As the breeze blew against his face, he took a whiff of the cool summer air only to smile instantly as Kuroko's scent filled his lungs. The boy was waiting for him, and from the delicious smell that accompanied Kuroko's sweet aroma, Kise knew the child had brought human treats for him. And from what he could tell, it was a mouthwatering burger from Maji.

Taking one last giant leap, Kise laughed out loudly as he propelled himself through the trees at lightning speed. The clearing was just up ahead. When he burst through the last few trees, he landed with a roll onto the ground, all the while still laughing.

Just a few feet away, Kuroko stared in surprise but he quickly shook his head and ran towards the youkai, feeling a sense of worry overtake him.

"Kise-kun! Are you alright?" He asked, falling down to his knees next to the fox spirit.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." The blond laughed, holding his stomach.

"Are you sure? You're laughing hysterically." Kuroko commented. "It's actually becoming rather creepy to be honest." He added with a frown.

"I'm laughing because I'm happy." Kise insisted, smiling widely. "And I'm happy because Kurokocchi is here with me." He added earnestly, his hand reaching up to cup the side of the child's cheek.

At this Kuroko blushed darkly. Although he was embarrassed by the fox's honesty, he closed his eyes regardless, pressing his cheek back into the youkai's palm. It was warm against his skin, leaving his heart pounding steadily but he enjoyed it none the less.

"Silly fox."

"But I'm your silly fox."

"Yes…" Kuroko said, his blue eyes opening slowly at him. "Yes you are."

The silent connection between them was beautiful Kise thought as his fingers splayed across Kuroko's cheek. He wished it could have lasted longer but Aomine was horrible and within moments the tengu made his appearance, his expression presented with pure shock and fear at the sight of his fox friend in the company of a human child.

"Wha, wha…" Aomine pointed at the pair shakily, his wings flappy wildly. "So this is what you've been up to all of this time?!"

"Aominecchi!" Kise sat up instantly, his tails whipping back and forth as he jumped in front of Kuroko protectively. "I told you this was none of your business!"

"Kise you're an idiot! This is bad!"

"How can it be bad?!"

"Because that kid can see you!"

"Excuse me…" Kuroko said, brow twitching.

"Come on idiot we're leaving!" Aomine said, his hand shooting out to grab the fox but Kise refused to have any of it and stepped to the side to avoid him while pushing Kuroko along with him. "Kise!" He growled threateningly.

"Tengu-san!" Kuroko at long last yelled with all of his might, having had enough of being ignored by the two youkai.

Hearing the human child, both males stopped to stare down at him attentively. While Kise looked in awe at the way Kuroko was standing up to them, his small hands clutching at his pants leg, Aomine grew wary of the situation they were in. He needed to get Kise away from him, he thought! Who knew what terrible things were going to come out of this?!

As Kuroko wore a contemplative look, he eyed the tengu cautiously. He was large, his build slightly bigger than that of Kise's and it didn't help that his wing span made him look all the more menacing. Still, he seemed to value the fox spirit quite a bit, so he figured that the tengu wasn't completely bad.

Inhaling sharply, Kuroko then put on a brave yet stoic face. "My name is Kuroko Tetsuya, Kise-kun has been a very good friend to me since I moved here, so please don't take him away from me so suddenly. We were just going to play and have a meal together." He said steadily.

This took Aomine completely by surprise. It was insanely hard to read the boys expression, given how blank faced he appeared but the way child had structured his words felt genuine enough for him to believe. Although a minor setback, Aomine still couldn't relinquish the unsettling feeling in his gut and once more he tried to make a grab for Kise regardless of the fluttering he felt in his stomach.

"I'm sorry to break it to you kid, I really am but this should be the last time you see Kise."

"Why?" Kuroko challenged him, hugging Kise's leg now.

"Because you're a human and we're youkai." Aomine tried to explain calmly behind gritting teeth, missing the fox's wrist by an inch.

"So what?"

"You! What do you mean, 'so what'?!" Aomine kneeled down to the child's level now, feeling annoyed. "We're different! Don't you understand brat?!"

"So what?" Kuroko asked again, glaring at him this time while Kise stood in the middle, his head turning frantically between the boy and Aomine.

"Aominecchi, just stop." Kise said. "You're upsetting Kurokocchi."

"I'm upsetting him?! Well he's upsetting me too!" The tengu pointed accusingly at the child.

Pressing his face into the fox spirit's leg, Kuroko quivered under Aomine's glare. "You're planning to take Kise away… I don't like it…"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Kise exclaimed, causing the boy to jolt before he looked up into concerned amber eyes. "I promise! No one is taking me away from you Kurokocchi!"

"Kise do you know what you're saying?!" Aomine stood up, confused as well as shocked.

"Yes, and I don't care." Kise declared. "You're not taking me anywhere, Aominecchi. Kurokocchi needs me."

"Kise you're being crazy!" Aomine retorted, finally managing to grip the fox spirit by the shoulders as he shook him almost violently. "He's a human!"

"Yes, and it isn't the first time that youkai and humans have interacted with each other, Aominecchi."

"Kise, it's dangerous!" He hissed. "Have you forgotten about what happened to Touhou?! My clan?!"

"Of course I haven't! But Kurokocchi isn't like that!"

"What are you talking about?" Kuroko tried to butt into the conversation. "Please stop ignoring me."

"Just get lost already!" Aomine growled threateningly at him but he was quickly silenced when Kise got his claws into the front of his yukata.

"Don't you dare threaten Kurokocchi. He's done no harm…" Kise glared menacingly at the tengu.

"Maybe not now, but someday, he will." Aomine replied coldly, giving the child one last glance before he pried the fox's hands off of him and stepped back to beat his wings and take flight.

Once gone, Kuroko watched with mild relief before looking up at Kise warily. The nine tailed fox seemed distressed if not extremely saddened by what had transpired. Tugging lightly on the fabric of his pants, it took several tries before Kise's attention was finally procured.

"Kise-kun, what does he mean? Is he saying that I will cause you trouble in the future?"

"Kurokocchi…" Kise sighed sadly.

"So then, it is true…" The bluenette concluded, more to himself as he looked down slowly at his feet, their food from Maji already long forgotten at this point.

"No! Don't say things like that!" Kise exclaimed, falling down to his knees as he gathered the child into his arms. "Just—let me tell you a story…" He said shakily now.

"A story? Kise-kun you're going off on a tangent..." Kuroko murmured against his shoulder.

"I know but it's a very important story, one that should help you understand Aominecchi's point of view…"

"Okay." Kuroko replied, looking into the youkai's eyes. "Then please, begin."

o0o0o0o

"Lord Akashi!" Aomine's voice boomed throughout the palace. "Lord Akashi I have urgent news!"

"Aomine, you're being obnoxiously loud." Midorima snapped in reply, marching towards him with his assistant Takao following closely beside him.

"Well sorry to burst your bubble but we have an emergency!" The tengu retorted back at the hakutaku. "Now where the hell is Akashi?!"

"Minechin is really loud, did Kisechin do something to make him angry again?" A comment was heard from behind the frantic tengu.

Turning around Aomine was greatly relieved to see just the person he was looking for. "Lord Akashi!"

"I'm here, now what seems to be the emergency that you speak of?" The dragon lord appeared, dignified as always and with him stood his ever present guard Murasakibara.

Looking around at the small gathering, Aomine grew slightly nervous but he had to tell them regardless. They had to know. "It's Kise, he's befriended a human! A human who has the ability to see youkai!"

"A human?" Akashi's eyes narrowed at the very mention of the word.

Midorima merely shook his head and sighed though, feeling all sorts of stress begin to take root in his consciousness. "How troublesome…"

"Does this mean we'll have a new friend?" Murasakibara asked innocently and Aomine glared.

"Kise maybe airheaded at times but he has always been elusive. Takao's hawks also have a difficult time keeping track of him for us so it is no wonder why his movements have been especially tricky as of late." Midorima said pinching the bridge of his nose. "We should have taken more precaution."

"No, I wasn't strict enough on him." Akashi glared at the ground, his fists clenching tightly. "All this time I've allowed him to run free as far as the edge of the forest. I've been aware that he's been experimenting with how much further he can travel beyond his restrictions for quite some time and now that he's done it, we must punish him so that it may not be repeated again."

"What exactly are you suggesting we do then?" Aomine asked as a sense of worry washed over him.

"Bring them to me." Akashi commanded. "Bring Ryouta and the human he's been consorting with to me at once."

o0o0o0o

"A long, long time ago, before ever coming to live here, Aominecchi lived far away, deep in a mountain village. He belonged to the powerful Touhou clan, led by Katsunori Harasawa." Kise began his tale. "I've never been there myself, but according to Aominecchi and Akashicchi, it was one of those safe havens for youkai."

"Really? It must have been beautiful…" Kuroko commented and Kise nodded.

"Because of how powerful the Touhou clan was, they had many enemies including humans—the kind of human's who could see us... The kind of humans who believe youkai should have no place in the world." Kise emphasized. "And fifteen years ago, the Touhou clan was pillaged, their village destroyed and their members scattered all because of one mistake and that mistake was befriending a human…" The blond grimaced and Kuroko winced, his hand instinctively reaching out to grasp his tightly in search of comfort which Kise returned readily with an assured squeeze. "And it wasn't just any human, but an exorcist in training. That young exorcist led his comrades to Aomine's village and from there it all went downhill."

"Is that why Aomine was so hostile towards me?" Kuroko looked down sadly.

"Yes, it is but we can't very well blame him for feeling that way." Kise replied. "Aominecchi lost everything that night. His family and friends... He was barely able to make it out of there alive himself and travel here to find safety under Akashi's protection."

"And what happened them? The rest of the Touhou clan?" Kuroko perked. "Do you think some of them managed to escape as well?"

Kise unfortunately shook his head, frowning. "If some of them did, they're probably living under someone else's protection, far away. Aomine's been waiting for them here—for anyone really but none have appeared. From what I know, some were actually killed during the attack and then there were others who were captured…"

"Captured?"

"Yes, captured. I don't know much about exorcists but from what Midorimacchi tells us, they torture youkai and even use them as tools against their wills…"

"That's terrible…" Kuroko shuddered, pressing himself close to the fox spirit. For a moment, he imagined Kise, chained down and lifeless, maybe even scared out of his mind. He was then reminded of the day he first met the nine tailed fox, how pitiful he looked caught in that trap and the blunette sniffled at the memory. "I don't like that, people mistreating youkai… its wrong, especially if youkai have done nothing to provoke humans." And it was then that another thought crossed the boy's mind. Looking up at Kise, he reached up, clutching at the front of his yukata tightly. "What about you? Are you afraid of me the same way Aomine-kun is?"

At this, Kise gasped lightly, his eyes widening. "No!" He said quickly before taking the child's face into his hands and bringing him close. "If that were the case then I wouldn't be here. The moment I met you, Kurokocchi, the moment you saved me from that awful trap, I knew you were something special." The blond explained as he pressed their foreheads together. "I'm far from afraid of you…"

That night, Kise watched over Kuroko's sleeping form to safeguard him. There was no telling what would happen to the child if he wasn't near him and now that Aomine was aware of his frequent escapades to see the boy, Kise knew he couldn't afford to let Kuroko out of his sight let alone leave him unprotected. Knowing the tengu, Kise was more than certain that Akashi was made fully aware about what was really going on now and he feared for the worst when Kuroko's window began to rattle suddenly.

"Mmm… K-kise-kun what's going on?" Kuroko asked with a yawn as he began to rub his tired blue eyes awake.

Standing up on his feet, alert and ready, Kise glared hard towards the window. "Kurokocchi, whatever happens, you mustn't show any fear to anyone, understand?" He growled lowly, baring his fangs at the shadowy figure looming beyond the house.

Hearing the foreign hostility laced in the fox's voice, Kuroko felt his body jolt to life now, aware that something wasn't quite right anymore. "Kise-kun?" He asked again.

"I'm going to protect you, I swear I won't let anyone hurt you, understand?"

The next second, it all became a blur as a strong wind shattered the glass windows of the house. Outside, a storm raged with thunder and lightning then suddenly a sickeningly sweet fragrance filled the room and Kuroko's eyes fell shut again as Kise shouted for him to stay awake.

o0o0o0o

When Kuroko opened his eyes again, he found himself in a lavishing bedroom with a red and gold color scheme that covered the interior from floor to ceiling. Kise was nowhere to be found as he looked round and round from his place atop of the king sized mattress and the longer he stared at the reddened walls, the more he felt himself begin to succumb to a growing fear.

Where was he?

Where was Kise?

Where was his grandmother and Nigou?

Were they safe?

Just what in the world happened for him to end up here?

Kuroko had so many questions but there was no one there to neither answer them nor reassure him of his safety. Pulling his knees tight against his chest, Kuroko shrank into himself as he began trying to think of a solution to his predicament. In the shadows, a pair of eyes (a red and golden one) finally began to glow in the darkness, having watched the human boy's actions intently for quite some time. From its hiding place, the figure slowly began to step into the light, his footsteps soft but loud enough to alert Kuroko. Instantly, the blunette's form stiffened and the stranger smirked, amused by the child's predictable reaction.

"I've been told that your name is Kuroko Tetsuya, am I right?" The figure asked, finally revealing himself.

Turning towards the commanding voice, Kuroko swallowed thickly at the sight of a red headed young man. He looked no older than Kise did (minus the fox ears and tail) but he knew he was otherworldly despite his human guise. Staring silently at the stranger, Kuroko made note of his oddly colored eyes—one bright red and the other a shimmering gold. They exhibited an overwhelming sense of power, one that made the blunette tremble slightly under his gaze but Kuroko did his best to hold fast, remembering Kise's words to not show any fear.

"Yes, I'm Kuroko Tetsuya." He replied slowly but steadily. "And what is your name if you don't mind me asking?" He added, trying to play it safe.

"Ah, so Ryouta didn't tell you very much about me, did he?" The redhead asked, tilting his head.

"If you don't tell me your name then I wouldn't know." Kuroko said, looking down at his lap.

"That is true." He hummed. "Then, I shall tell you—my name is Akashi Seijuro, the lord of this region."

"Ah." Kuroko's blue eyes widened. "You're the guardian that Kise-kun tells me about."

"Guardian?" Akashi arched a brow.

The boy nodded his head. "Kise-kun told me you protect all the youkai who live here. They behave very well since I have been unable to catch sight of very many aside from Kise-kun's presence of course. You must be a great leader for them to be so respectful and distant from humans." Kuroko said, smiling ever so lightly now. "When I lived in Tokyo, the youkai there were unpredictable. There were some who became my friends but then there were others who were very frightening… Still, I don't hate them, the youkai I mean."

"You don't hate them?" Akashi repeated his words. "And why is that? I'm quite sure you understand the position you are in, don't you?"

"Of course I understand." The blunette stated firmly, finally looking up at the redhead with sudden determination, one that surprised even Akashi though he didn't show it. "I'm in an unfamiliar place. I may even get hurt if I'm not careful but what I say is true regardless and that is that I do not hate youkai. To be honest, I actually like them very much." He said, smiling fondly as his thoughts drifted to the memory of Kise's vibrant smile. "I like Kise-kun and though I was a little scared of Aomine-kun earlier, I want to befriend him too. I want to make friends and show everyone that not all humans are bad and that we can all live together in peace somehow."

"Then you know, don't you?" Akashi's strong voice shook the room and before Kuroko knew it, the redhead appeared in front of him, pressing him back down into the mattress. "Ryouta must have told you what happened to Daiki, didn't he?"

"H-he did and what happened was terrible but I am not like that." Kuroko trembled, his small hands reaching up to rest lightly against the redhead's much larger hands. "I won't betray Kise-kun—never, for as long as I live. It hasn't been very long but I enjoy living here in this peaceful place." He said, his voice unrelenting. "I want it to continue to be peaceful and if something happens that may threaten to disturb the peace then I want to protect it. I refuse to have it destroyed just like how Aomine-kun lost his home."

"So then, you're saying you will protect it? My domain and all how inhabit it?" Akashi asked, glaring down at him, daring him to answer.

And Kuroko looked up at him fiercely, his blue eyes narrowing back and challenging him. "Yes, I will."

"Even if it means going against your own kind?" The redhead persisted. "Like the exorcists? The one's responsible for destroying the Touhou clan?"

"Yes." Kuroko answered without a hint of hesitation. "I will stop them too."

"If that is the case, then I will hold you to it." Akashi said, causing Kuroko to gasp lightly under him. "Even though you're a child, your determination is undeterred and your resolve is clear. From this encounter alone, I can safely say that you will not be a threat anytime soon but mark my words—if you do betray Ryouta and everyone's trust, mine included, I will see to it myself that you will regret the day you were born with ability, Tetsuya."

The tension was thick in the air but Kuroko could see that the dragon lord was giving him a fair chance to prove himself, and he would. He was determined to change his mind and everyone else's. Breathing deeply, Kuroko nodded his head in agreement as he replied in a gentle voice. "I understand, Akashi-sama."

o0o0o0o

Kise had been beaten unconscious no thanks to Aomine and Midorima. Even though the hakutaku drugged the entire house with his sleeping mist, the tengu had been far from gentle in his attempt to prevent Kise from stopping them from kidnapping him and Kuroko. It was a move the fox spirit should have expected but at the same time, he had no idea that his friendship with Kuroko would rouse such disapproval from Akashi in such a way that he would send his elite forces after him in that manner.

Sluggish, chained and angry now that he was finally awake, Kise growled at everyone. "Where is he? Where is Tetsuya?!" He demanded.

"Akashi is assessing him." Midorima said, looking down at him hard. "Only you would pull a stunt like this though I shouldn't be surprised."

"It's your fault anyways Kisechin." Murasakibara commented out of the blue, his eyes distant before they landed on Aomine. "Oi, you think if Akachin doesn't like him that we'll be able to eat him? Someone once told me a long time ago that humans are especially tasty if their spiritual awareness is powerful. And since he can see us, he must be delicious don't you think?"

The dark skinned male rolled his eyes at the question. "I'm not interested in making a kid my dinner." He scoffed, crossing his arms. "I don't care what anyone says, he's a human and humans are downright disgusting in my opinion so why would I even want to eat him in the first place?"

"If it is allowed, I can lend you one of my scrolls Murasakibara." Midorima said, adjusting his spectacles. "There are several recipes in them that require a human child that you may be interested in trying."

"No! Don't you dare!" Kise shouted, glaring at all three of them. "I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you all if you so much as touch him!" He exclaimed, his amber hues glowing red with rage.

"Hmph, how pitiful." Midorima glared back. "You have no right to be angry, Kise. You should have expected something like this was bound to happen anyways."

"He's just a human." Murasakibara added, tilting his head at the wrathful fox. "Humans don't live very long anyways so why does he matter so much to you?" He asked, puzzled. "Maybe I should crush him, that'll solve the problem won't it?"

"You bastard!" Kise screamed and his nine tails whipped around wildly as his aura began to intensify.

"Now you've gone and done it you fool!" Aomine exclaimed.

Just as the tengu was getting ready to unsheathe his katana in an effort to forcefully calm his friend, the entire room pulsated and everyone froze at the menacing presence of their approaching leader.

"You are all incredibly loud. Be silent before I force you." The words echoed throughout the expansion of the room and much to everyone's shock, the doors were thrown open with an expected yet frightening force.

There standing at the entrance, Akashi stood stiffly, his eyes glaring menacingly at his four subordinates. Beside him, Kuroko eyed them curiously as he clutched the redhead's hand. When his gaze fell on Kise's hunched form on the ground, he turned to look up at Akashi for a moment before letting go of their intertwined fingers slowly and bolting towards the nine tailed fox.

Once close enough, Kuroko launched himself forward, small arms wrapping around the blond youkai's neck as he hugged him tightly. "Kise-kun." He whimpered the others name and for a moment the fox spirit's eyes widened and the rage he felt earlier disappeared entirely now that the two were reunited.

"Kurokocchi, you're okay…" Kise said, pressing his nose into the boy's soft sky blue hair. "Thank goodness… You're okay… You're really okay…" He sighed, relief filling him. If he wasn't chained down, Kise would have embraced the child back just as tightly but damn Aomine for restricting him, he thought.

"Yes I'm okay." Kuroko replied, nuzzling his cheek against him reassuringly. "We're going to be okay." He said, and his words struck Kise with absolute surprise.


End file.
